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Denny Hamlin isn’t backing off his comments about Hendrick Motorsports and Chevrolet.
After Kyle Larson’s championship, team owner Rick Hendrick took two shots at Hamlin. The Snickers bars Hendrick’s group posed with on the championship stage were a callback to Hamlin’s July podcast comments, and Larson revealed it was Hendrick’s idea. In his post-race press conference, Hendrick also addressed, without naming Hamlin, comments about Hendrick controlling the Chevrolet camp.
Asked by FOX Sports’ Bob Pockrass about Hendrick’s comments, Hamlin didn’t hesitate.
“Man, I’m on the top of their mind,” Hamlin said. “Sounds like he’s defensive.”
https://x.com/bobpockrass/status/2120188381158396279
The ‘Teat of the Master’ Comment
On his Actions Detrimental podcast after Talladega, Hamlin said all Chevrolet teams must “suck at the teat of the master,” a reference to Rick Hendrick. Hamlin said he stands by the point.
“But then on the Chevrolet stuff, I mean, it’s the elephant in the room. The one Chevrolet team is by far better than the rest, year in, year out. It’s not like an anomaly,” Hamlin said.
“So, yeah, when you listen to a driver’s comments, and they say that everyone has to post their setups, but if you put in a Hendrick setup, it’s undrivable. Something seems weird in that instance. So that’s my job as a podcaster is to talk about those things as they get brought up and comment on drivers that are making comments in the media.”
‘I Didn’t Say I Had Hendrick Setups’
Asked whether he had just revealed that he has seen Hendrick setups, Hamlin said no.
“No, that’s not what I said. I think you should replay what I said. I didn’t say I had Hendrick setups,” he said. “I said when the other drivers put in their Hendrick setups, it’s undrivable. That’s what they said.
“That’s what everyone at RCR says and everyone else. I just trust them at their word. I have no idea.”
Hamlin did not say which Richard Childress Racing drivers had made those comments.
‘We Have Dialogue’
Asked if his podcast causes problems with other owners, the Joe Gibbs Racing driver and 23XI Racing co-owner said it doesn’t.
“No, I don’t think so. No, because we have dialogue- myself, Rick, and other owners,” Hamlin said. “I think that generally speaking, that’s why people tune in to listen to our podcast for a week. They know they’re going to get, you know, an honest take.
“And back to talk about what he was talking about, back then, Hendrick was struggling. So my job as a podcaster is to discuss those things. And at the time, yeah, I was having their back at the moment.”
On the Snickers photo, Hamlin said Hendrick missed that he was defending the team from trolls, and suggested Snickers “for those three other guys that didn’t win the championship.” Read more.
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